Description of the Prior Art
Body protection suits generally have configuration which conforms in some manner to the human body to cover areas exposed to impact by objects. These objects may be actively directed toward the user, such as projectiles, or they may be passive, such as pavement.
The prior art such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,853 has tried to solve the problem of total protection for the body by teaching the use of protective padding. The padding may be constructed of an outer shell of molded, rigid, high-impact resistant, sheet material coupled with softer body conforming and energy absorbing lining material such as a foam elastomer. Individual body parts are surrounded by a hinged, two part, rigid, clam shell held closed by fastener means. No provision is made to protect the body at hinged points. The rigid nature of the outer shell severely constrains the approach to body hinged elements such as knees and elbows. The overlap of rigid elements makes it impossible to sit down.
Prior art such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,297 teaches the use of two separate pads. One pad for the front chest area and a separate pad for the back chest area. The device leaves the user vulnerable at the shoulders and all along the area from under the arm to the waist.
Another, U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,944, teaches a combination of the above. Rigid shoulder and waist bands are coupled with the use of a pair of protective pads for the arms and legs. The pair of pads do not but up against each other and thus leave areas unprotected. Raised, ribbed folds of fabric give some measure of protection to hinged body joints. The limited size of the rigid bands solves the problem of allowing the user to sit. However, the open area between the ridged bands and between the pair of pads still leaves unprotected areas and the user vulnerable to injury.
Thus, there has long been a need for an arrangement to provide maximum body protection with the elimination of side openings and closing any other openings to a very narrow seam in the protection, if any, where necessary around hinged body joints.
It is desired that the arrangement provide a degree of comfort and maneuverability to encourage the use of the arrangement. At the very least, the user should be able to sit down or crouch down while wearing the arrangement.
It is also desired that the arrangement provide a means to adjust the level of protection from suit to suit and for selected body areas.